Hello and welcome to our
Hurtigruten trip along the coast of Norway. We made this trip in September 2012 and during the course of the 12 day journey, I wrote a journal talking about our experiences on board as we travelled from Bergen to Kirkenes and back again.

These posts reflect our personal journey, what we saw, who we met and what we did each day. We, being me, Angela and my husband Andy. If you want to know about the cabins and the food and how
it all works on board, this is not the blog for you. It does not focus on the practical elements. But follow the link to www.hurtigruten.com and I'm sure you'll find everything you need to know there.

We made a very last minute decision to take the trip and in fact secured the very last cabin - cabin 658 right at the back of the boat. The benefits of this were two fold. Firstly it was a mere skip and a jump to the hot tub, which we luxuriated in every day bar one . And secondly, we were very quickly and easily able to get up on to the top deck, so when the Northern Lights decided to grace us with their presence we were straight on it! More of that later.

This trip was on our
bucket list for ages and seems to be on the bucket list of many others we
told about our voyage. And like all travel, it was a time to discover new places, new people and new experiences. I hope you will enjoy reading the posts and I'd love to hear your comments and for you to share your own experiences of this voyage on here.

After a day of start-stop
travel, we arrive at the Hurtigruten Terminal in Bergen to board the ship. We are travelling on the NordNorge
– a boat holding about 600 people. After a short briefing we get the keys to our cabin and board the ship. We are like small children arriving at a
play park – where shall we head first? What ride shall we go on next? We get
the keys to our cabin and naturally head there first and do the sensible thing
of unpacking and getting sorted, knowing then we are free for the remainder of
the evening to explore the ship.

Our cabin is compact and yet
somehow spacious, with ample space for coats and sweaters and cold weather
clothing. There are two single beds, one pulls down from the wall and the other
is a sofa bed. Romantic it isn’t, but that probably isn’t the reason that
you’re on this trip.

And then onto exploring the
ship. There is the panoramic lounge – which does what it says on the tin.
Windows on each side provide fabulous views of the entire journey without having
to leave the comfort of your chair. There’s also the library and additional
seating on decks 4 and 7, again all with windows and views. Hurtigruten
certainly know that you want to be able to see out at all times. Then there are
the outside decks, the hot tub, the restaurant and café to investigate. We
spend most of our first evening eating, sussing out how everything is going to
work and eyeing up and down our fellow passengers, wondering who will be making
the full return journey or who will be leaving us part way.

We leave Bergen at 8 pm and a
huge moon hangs in a clear sky celebrating the start of our voyage.

We awake to pink fluffy clouds,
which disperse after a couple of hours leaving beautiful blue skies and
sunshine. It is a warmer day than we have experienced for most of our own
English summer. Up on deck, passengers are like sunflowers, moving their chairs to face the sun and make the most of the brightness and warmth.We are advised that we will sail into Hjorundfjorden this morning. This is the very first time that Hurtigruten have made this trip and as a result
we are treated like local celebrities. A helicopter flies above and around the
boat taking footage of our trip and in many of the small hamlets and villages
that we pass, locals gather to wave Norwegian flags at us, children jumping up
and down and clapping their hands in excitement as this big ship passes
through.

On route we discover that
many of these tiny places have no road access. They can be reached only by
boat. I think about what life must be like – no overnight Amazon deliveries, no
local shop, no cappuccinos and of course you have to hope that you always get
on with your neighbours. We learn that men lost their lives trying to save goats from an
avalanche, children are taken to boarding school by boat and yet bizarrely one
tiny enclave that looks like it only has two or three houses now hosts a regular
blues and music festival that attracts thousands of visitors each year. It's all a bit surreal, but fascinating nonetheless.Many of our fellow travellers decide to take the excursion at Urke and the coaches are lined up at the quay. We decide to remain on the boat and have trouble making decisions on whether to read a book, take photographs or sit on deck. In the end, we do all three and then finally I am overcome with it all and I go back to the cabin to nap. My only concern is that I'll miss some fabulous scenery while I have my eyes shut!

When I wake we are nearing Alesund, a picturesque art-nouveau town. It was destroyed by fire in 1904 and rebuilt. Kaiser Willheim loved to holiday in this area and at the news of the fire sent help to the town, by shipping liners and boats from the German navy which moored at the docks. The local men from Alesund lived on the boats while they rebuilt the buildings in art-nouveau style.We disembark and take a long walk through the town, strolling through the highly decorated buildings and admiring the boats in the harbour. The art nouveau centre in town is well worth a visit. It's well done, informative and fun and they serve great cake. We know this as we visited it last time we were in Alesund, but this time we are visiting after 5.00 pm and sadly pretty much everything is closed.Back on the boat, we jump in the hot tub. It’s bath water
temperature inside the tub, but certainly not out of it and it’s a strange
juxta-position talking to people in coats and scarves while we are in bathing
suites and Andy is bare-chested. We wave goodbye to Alesund from the hot tub
and head further North.

Over dinner that night, we
reflect that today has been just perfect. If it happened to be our last day
here, we would be happy. But then again, we don’t yet know what tomorrow will
bring.

This morning we awake just
before we arrive in Trondheim. I have no expectations and we are charmed by the
delights of this beautiful city. It is the third largest in Norway. We are
blessed with another absolutely glorious day and more blue skies and sunshine.
A short ten minute stroll from the boat and we find ourselves in wide shop
lined avenues, selling stylish Norwegian goods. I tell my husband that I’m sure
I was Scandinavian in a past life as I love the window displays and feel an
affinity for the warm browns and copper tones of the clothing layered on the
models, scarves draped decoratively over shoulders and lace up cosy waterproof
boots to keep out the snow when it falls. Interspersed amongst the clothes
shops, we find shops selling cups, saucers and large jugs for flowers in Farrow
and Ball hues and heavy fluffy blankets that I can easily imagine throwing over my shoulders on a cold Winter's night. We are saved from ourselves by it being a Sunday and nothing
being open but I am sad about not being able to shop among the loveliness and vow to return here for a couple of days when the town is open
and our bank accounts are healthy.

We walk down to the cathedral
and enter through grey padded doors, probably insulated that way to keep in the
warmth. As we swing open the doors we are greeted by the sound of angelic
voices as a local choir of Norwegian girls rehearse for a future performance.
Their sweet, young and pure voices make the hairs stand up on the back of our
necks as their voices echo around the giant arches and columns of the
cathedral. It is warm and welcoming in here, unlike some of the churches I have visited
in the UK. The stained glass windows are also darker, making the religious
visions somehow more dramatic.

Leaving the cathedral, we
follow a path down to the river and cross a bright red and decorative bridge to
the old town. We wander down narrow streets, with rickety clapperboard houses,
some in pastel shades and others in brighter oranges and browns. As we approach
11 am, the town’s population begins to gather. We pass women with babies in
buggies, energetic runners and slightly hung-over looking young Norwegians. The
cafes in the old town burst into life and as the weather is unexpectedly
glorious for the time of year, people take seats outside and sip cappuccinos
chatting to one another in the sunshine.

My latte comes topped with a tiny
milk heart, tables have heathers displayed in pots and
hanging over the chairs is a blanket to put over your knees in case the temperature should
suddenly dip. This is what I love about Norway; things are done with style and
with an appreciation of the ever-changing weather. They know it will be cold
and live their life accordingly. As the saying goes, “there is no such thing as
bad weather in Norway, just bad clothing”. I decide that Trondheim is
my new favourite place and a definite must-return-to destination.

Later back on the boat we pass through the narrow sound of Stokksundet. We stand on deck and watch the ever more beautiful scenery unfold in front of us.

We wake this morning to an
announcement that we will be crossing the Arctic Circle. It is almost 7 am and we quickly throw on some clothes and head on deck. We are two of
only a few people who have come to mark the occasion with a photograph or two,
most preferring to say in the warmth of their beds or the ship. A globe on a
small island marks the spot and it suddenly feels like we are in new territory.
The weather is misty, but has it’s own beauty. The mist hangs over the
mountains and the light reminds me of an episode of
Wallender.

As we progress further North
today, we travel past the dark jagged wall of mountains that mark the Loften
Islands. This continues for 100 km and seems impenetrable as the pointed caps rise up on either side of us. It’s a dramatic part of the trip with a stop
over in Bodo (pronounced Buddha – which I like) during the afternoon. We
disembark for a walk around Bodo. There’s not much to see here. It has a
modern town centre and pre-war architecture particularly reflected in the
church and clock tower. However, we do find a shop selling traditional
hand-crafted goods from Norway and are torn between gorgeous weighty blankets, brightly
coloured scarves or hand-knitted cable socks. We remember that we have a
luggage limit on our return flight and so decide on a hand-cut Christmas
decoration depicting reindeer in the snow. I tell the shop assistant that we
shall proudly display it this Christmas and will think back warmly on our trip to
Bodo. And we do.

The shops here tell you a lot
about the town and the weather. There are several craft shops, a couple of wool
shops, a bookshop and two shops selling musical instruments. I can only assume
that during cold, dark winter nights people gather for craft evenings, knitting
circles and to play music together. That may be quite a romantic view of life, but
it’s the one I choose to take away with me.

Back on board, I head to the
library. It seems a regular crowd is forming here. Three highly competitive American women are playing a game that looks and sounds a lot like dominoes, a German man
sits writing at a table while his wife, secretly snoozing, pretends to read a
magazine and an American gentleman who reminds me
a little of the crazy Professor from Back to the Future (sorry Tom) is trying
to send emails. There is a little excitement when one of the women makes some
sort of illegal move in the game, but this is soon forgotten when a Dutch man
interrupts and invites them to play cards with him. Once again, I feel tired
and so I return to my cabin for a sleep.

My husband wakes me a little
later to tell me that I will be sorry to miss the sunset going down over the
mountains and he is right. It is magnificent. After more photo-taking we once
again jump in the hot tub and it is noticeable colder on our cheeks and noses. But then again we are in the Arctic Circle now!

After dinner, we retire to
the panoramic lounge, luckily securing a front seat and I think that perhaps we
are set here for the night, but we don’t realise that Hurtigruten has more in
store for us this evening. At 11 pm we enter the Trollfjord, which is a very
narrow piece of water with mountains rising up to 1000 metres high on either
side. The gap through is at times only 100 metres wide and with the spotlights
from the ship illuminating our way, it looks like you could reach overboard and
touch the surface of the mountains. We keep an eye out for Trolls, but they
must be sleeping and we make up jokes about trolls to keep us entertained.
There is a real camaraderie on deck as passengersmill about in padded jackets
and hats drinking troll soup to keep warm. As the fjord is a dead end, the
Captain has to turn the ship round. I’m glad he’s doing it and not me.
Eventually, everyone disappears off to bed, apart from Andy and I. We look up
at the sky filled with hope of seeing the Northern Lights, but it seems tonight
will not be the night as we can make out only a few stars in the otherwise
cloudy sky. Oh well, perhaps tomorrow night.

On day 5, we wake up in
Harstad and once again it is a spectacular day. The sky is completely clear and
blue and the sunshine is glorious. This is one of the most beautiful parts of
the trip so far in my opinion. We sit on deck and take in Autumn as she parades
her copper, golds and vibrant reds in the trees on the sides of the mountain.
White houses dot here and there amongst the mountains and powerful snow-capped
peaks show off their grandness in the background.

In the afternoon, we arrive
in Tromso. We head along the brightly coloured pier to the Polar museum and are
regaled with tales of bravery and heroism of the polar explorers. Afterwards we
head into the town and again wander the shops in search of lovely things.

The
shops predominantly line one main avenue, but there is plenty to see and
coffees to be had in the relatively short time that we are ashore. Tromso
cathedral sits over the bridge in another part of town. We don’t make it here
this time, but will return on our way back for what will be one of the most spectacular events on our voyage.

After dinner, we go up on
deck – this time to the front of the ship and watch as we pull into one of the
tiny ports on route. This is a working ferry after all. We watch as a fork-lift driver busily drives back and forth taking cargo off the ship for the
local people. Three or four people leave the ship here pulling suitcases behind them.
And then a car speeds into the port in a Starsky and Hutch style. The driver and passenger look
frightened that they will not make it. They are unaware that we have arrived early. They pull all sorts of luggage out of
the car including a child's buggy and for some reason a single wooden chair. The chair is not
wrapped in any way and begs the question - why? We will never find out as it is loaded into the cargo hold. At the last minute and almost like they'd forgotten in the rush to get everything on board, they go back to the car for - yes their baby. It’s all part of regular
Hurtigruten life as people jump on and off this ferry along the coast of
Norway.

The landscape today has
changed dramatically, as has the weather. It is a grey day, with overhead cloud
coverage although remarkably mild. The Autumn colours have disappeared and too
the snow capped mountains. The scenery is barren and somehow fits with the
weather.

The staff on board announce
that we have arrived in Finnmark, which is the same latitude as Alaska and
Siberia. Only 78,000 people live here and you can understand why when they
advise that temperatures can drop as low as minus 64 in Winter and there is no
light during the Winter other than the moon, the snow and the Northern Lights.

Today we reach the North
Cape and many of our fellow travellers take the excursion. We get off the board at a small town called Honningsvag. The harbour area is
filled with fishing boats and the usual clapper board houses. We head out of
town into a more residential area. We meet an inquisitive dog straining at his
lead outside, keen to meet someone new. This town looks a little forgotten –
old boating engines lay on the side of the road, a bit like someone thought
they’d come back for them but forgot or couldn’t be bothered. The
town has some shops meeting the needs of the townsfolk but it feels isolated
and I have great admiration for the people who live here as I know that I
certainly wouldn’t be able to do it.

We do meet Chris in the main
street wearing a tee-shirt saying Long Way Up and standing by two BMW touring
bikes. We stand and chat with him, interested in his journey. He tells us that
he has been on the road for five and a half months and has driven from South
Africa to North Cape. He and his female riding companion were hoping to make it
to Oktoberfest but don’t believe they’ll get there in time so will be shipping
the bikes back home. I’d love to stop and talk for longer, sit and have a
coffee and hear more about their journey, their experiences and the people
they’ve met along the way, but like many others you meet on this journey, you
get a snapshop of their life and know that you’ll never see them again. He asks
if we are from the boat and we tell him yes. He sums up cruising in his South African accent stating cruises seem to be filled with “Newly-weds, over-feds and the nearly
deads.” We tell him we fit into the middle category - well we hope so anyway.

L

ater back on the boat, we are advised that we
will pass the Hurtigruten sister ship Nordcapp and that there is a competition we can all take part in. The competition consists of seeing how many passengers each
ship can get on board and how much noise we can make as we pass each other.At 10.30 pm we head up on board and are
handed giant red pompoms to wave. People are in a festive mood and the crew
have set up music. We pass the other boat and are close enough to see the other
passengers waving and cheering. It’s a lovely experience and somehow the shared
nature of being on this journey makes it even more special. After the boat passes, we
pull into a tiny port and with Abba's Dancing Queen playing loudly from the deck, the
fork-lift truck driver there still continues unloading cargo, impervious to what’s
going on above. The music and celebrations continue as we leave this tiny town and
it is strange and yet moving to see people dancing in their winter jackets and
hats. We laugh and hold each other tighter during Angels by Robbie Williams and Eskild our on-board Tour Leader shouts out – song for kissing, song for kissing.

Today we arrive in Kirkenes
and we have reached the turnaround point of our voyage. There is definitely
change in the air and you can feel a different energy on the boat this morning.
Some people will leave us here to catch their plane home or to continue their
journeys elsewhere. Later in the Library I notice that the American domino-playing
women are gone as is the Dutch man that joined them most days.

We get off the boat at
Kirkenes to find that we are once again surrounded by the colours of Autumn. As
we walk from the port into the town centre, we pass tree-lined avenues filled
with the usual clapperboard houses that we have become accustomed to seeing.
The trees still have their red, orange and copper leaves on display and many
also have bright red berries. The day is a crisp, bright cold one and it is the
sort of day that you feel glad to be alive.

We discover that as it is the
last Thursday of the month, there is a Russian market in town. Ten or twelve
stalls are set up selling hand knitted socks, lace-edged tablecloths and of
course Russian dolls. The colours are somewhat garish to our eyes, but it
brings a vibrancy to the town square. We wonder if this is just for the
tourists, but no, we see locals haggling with the Russian market stallholders
to get the best deal. As we wander, we notice that the road signs are in both
Norwegian and Russian and we see a sign directing us to Murmansk. This really
is very different and unlike anywhere that I’ve ever visited before

Kirkenes had the life bombed
out of it during the Second World War and as a result is full of pre-war
architecture once it was rebuilt. A sign tells us that there were over 1000 air
raid announcements here during the war and the Andersen shelter can still be
seen on the walk into town.

We stop in the centre for a
delightful cup of coffee and a piece of banana cake, jauntily decorated in
bright yellow icing. It is good coffee and very welcome after drinking predominantly
herbal tea on board.

Later today we stop at Vardo.
As we arrive, the words, "Eternal Light, Eternal Night" are painted on the
quayside. It tells you all you need to know about Vardo. As we walk up towards
the church, we get chatting with a local Norwegian lady called Elsa, who is out walking her dog.
She grew up here and then moved to Oslo where she met and married a Texan. They
returned to Vardo and he fell in love with it and so they moved back here. She
tells us that she’s just about settled again, but it took some time. We ask her what it is like
when there is no light at all during the winter months and she surprises us by
telling us how absolutely beautiful it is. She says that the light comes from
the moon, the snow and of course the Northern Lights. It is a magical time of
year and sometimes when a big storm comes, she is unable to see her neighbour’s
house, which is only a very short distance away. It makes me want to experience
this life. I’d like to step into her shoes for a short period of time, during
the middle of the Winter, to know what it feels like, to experience the
darkness and the cold. But only for a couple of weeks. I certainly don’t think
I could make it through a whole Winter. Once again, I am in admiration of the
Norwegian spirit and the town already seems lighter with people like Elsa
living in it. I muss with Jasper her dog and at the same time Elsa’s daughter
Daniella comes outside to greet her mum and say hello. Again I’d love to know
more. There are so many questions I’d love to ask this lady and I’d definitely
forego a trip to the town to stand and chat. Once again we have a snapshot view of each others' lives and then we move on.

The sunset tonight is absolutely spectacular. I've seen some good sunsets over the years, but I'm not sure anything compares to these with the Norwegian mountains as a backdop.

We decide on an early night
tonight, only to hear an announcement that there has been a spotting of the
Northern Lights just as we have snuggled down under the quilt. I don’t think
I’ve moved so quickly in a long time as we struggle into our clothes and head
out on deck. There is a green hazy light hiding mischievously under the clouds
and it is definitely not moonlight reflecting on the clouds. We get an occasional burst of
green light moving into an arc and there is a slight pixilation as the lights
breaks into rays. We are on deck for a couple of hours taking a die-hard
approach, straining to see more. Eventually at 12.30 am, the cold finally beats
us and we decide to head back to our cabin. But nature has one more delight in store for
us. Before we turn in, we sit with a mug of tea at the back of the boat on deck
6 and as we stare at the night sky, we are blessed with a shooting star.

We awake this morning to some
blue sky, but this quickly passes and we find ourselves in misty grey. It feels
moody today and the mists hang over the mountains blurring their edges.

Our mood is lightened by our
regular announcer, Eskild advising us of a birthday on board. He tells us that the lady
who works in the café should be wished a very happy birthday if we are passing
through and in addition, she is very open to birthday hugs from gentleman that
are willing to oblige. As I grab a mug of tea on my way through to the library,
one gentleman has taken up the offer and she embraces him warmly.

Hammerfest is today’s major
stop. We have only an hour and a half here and the guide books tells us that we
can walk up the hill in town and reach an observation deck with a restaurant on
top and see views of Hammerfest. It sounds good until we arrive and take a look
at the weather. It looks like rain and so we decide against the walk and
instead stroll through the town and head towards the local church. Their
triangular structures are prevalent throughout all the towns we have visited
and Andy enlightens me to the fact that of course the snow cannot build up on
the roof if they are this shape. It just falls away. I have one of those "it all
makes sense now" moments. As usual the Norwegians have come up with a striking
design with a practical application. Inside the church is a glorious
stain-glassed window. There are
candles burning and a sense of reverance surrounds us. It seems that all the
churches we visit in Norway have someone playing the organ or singing
and today despite it being 11.30 and a Friday morning, someone is
jauntily playing the organ. It sounds like a mix between Abide with me and a
merry seaside tune, but it fills the dimensions of the church.

Hammerfest centre consists of
one main street, and there are some charming shops. I strongly recommend a
visit to No 19, where you will find fine china, ornate candle holders and
garlands to decorate your front door. And in addition, balanced amongst the
interior design there are a few white tables and chairs at which you can sit a
while and catch up with your friends over a coffee. We had take away coffee
lattes here and they were the best we had in Norway.

On the way back to the boat,
freezing rain begins and we are glad that the boat is docked only a short
distance away. We are also glad that we didn’t decide upon the walk up the
hill. Our friend Tom tells us that the rain caught up with him on the way back
and in addition the restaurant was shut!

Back on board, Hurtigruten
have another treat for us this afternoon. The ladies choir of Hammerfest is on
the ship and will be singing in the bar at 4 pm. We head up to find that it is
in fact a concert plus singalong. Song sheets in Norwegian are passed among the passengers
and dotted amongst them are some English versions. We end the session with a
rendition of We’ll Meet Again (naturally), although we laugh to see that it has
been attributed to Jonny Cash in the song sheet. Whatever would Vera Lynn have
to say on the matter.

Much later, we arrive back in
Tromso and take our one and only excursion, which is a midnight trip to Tromso
cathedral to hear a concert. The concert consists of Norwegian and Sami folk
songs and instrumental pieces played on the piano and flugelhorn. The acoustics
at the cathedral are wonderful, carrying the echo of the pure voiced baritone
straight to our hearts. The concert and the setting are absolutely magical and I am moved
to tears at the final rendition of Amazing Grace.

Day 9 looks like it could be
a little boring when we review the day’s events and instead it turns out to be
the complete opposite. The day starts off a little misty and slightly cooler
than it has been but there’s no rain until much later and then it
only lasts for a very short time. We really have had the most perfect weather. In fact the staff on board tell us that the self same journey two weeks ago saw rain virtually every day. The people on that trip must have very different photographs to ours.

The Autumn colours completely surround us on this part of
the journey. There are swathes of red and gold, outlined by swathes of dark
green evergreens. Each one looking like it would make a perfect Christmas tree.

We stop at a small port and as usual the fork-lift truck driver roars up ready to unload
today’s cargo. On route we’ve seen roofing insulation, office stationary
supplies and food deliveries amongst other things being loaded on and off of
the boat, but more exciting are the people jumping on and off along the way. Today
we see a man reunited with his family, his son jumping up and down in
anticipation as he sees his father walking down the gangway. He rushes forward
to give him a big hug at his arrival home. Such scenes warm the heart.

The weather decides to get
better and once again we find ourselves under blue skies and glorious sunshine.
We make a short stop at Sortland and from the ship see a church that looks
interesting. Once off the boat, we realise it is further away than we thought, but it has led us to a small gallery on the outskirts of town that is
hosting an opening. We are welcomed by a smiling face and a glass of sparking
apple juice and are invited to browse the artist’s work. The pieces remind us
of covers from Pink Floyd albums in the 70s and 80s but it is an interesting
exhibit and fun to be part of. We sign the guest book, thank our hosts and
return to the boat.

Our next stop today is
Stockmarkness. We wander up the main street and join the locals out doing their
Saturday shopping. It seems that we are destined to see these small towns in
their best light as the sun continues to shine. Today is dog day it seems as we
pass several people with dogs. There is an adorable, white fluffy husky pup who
is stretched out on a park bench taking some rays with his owner. Also on the
other side of the street is a pup straining at the lead and very excited to be
out and about. But my favourite dog of the day is Esmelda – the white and black
French bulldog who runs up and greets me enthusiastically when she realises
that I am bending down to muss her. I’m not sure if it is very expensive to
keep pets in Norway, but we have not seen many on our travels. We continue down the main street. It seems that all the towns we’ve stopped at have
an indoor shopping centre. It makes sense and will be needed once snow lines
the sides of the streets and temperatures plummet.

Also at Stockmarkness we do a
quick tour of the Hurtigruten museum. Here you will see archive photographs and
reconstructions of bunk rooms and the like. It is a fascinating review of the
Hurtigruten history including information about the fact that once upon a time
there were three classes on board. First was for luxury passengers and we see
fine china, cutlery and linen. Second class was for regular travellers and
third class – well there weren’t many pictures to see, so I’ll leave this to
your imagination. The museum is well worth a visit and our only disappointment
is that we would have liked more time in the town to explore more, enjoy a
coffee and do the museum justice.

Back on board, we find
ourselves once again able to enter the Trollfjord due to the good weather and
this time we get to see just how narrow it is in the daylight. In addition, we
are joined by some sea eagles soaring up in the thermals about the mountains
near the boat. We think that our journey into the fjord is dramatic, but then
we hit the wall of mountains that make up the Lofoten Islands. This part of
Norway is a definite return to destination. I’d love to get up close and
personal with the Lofoten Islands and explore the area between Trondheim and
Tromso in more detail. It is beautiful countryside.

We watch the
sunset over the Lofoten Islands from the hot tub and reflect on the beauty of
the day.

About Me

I'm Angela and I live in Cheshire, United Kingdom with my husband Andy and 21 year old, grumpy demanding cat called Mojo. I see myself as a forty-something soon-to-be successful writer who is easily distracted
by cats and cheese and who can't understand why her novel is taking so long
to write.